The Boss' Orders
by N7Dragon5
Summary: He is Devoted. He is Loyal. He is also Dead, and the only one who knows how to think. He never disobeys the Boss' Orders. His adventure from the Boss to the Edge of the Lawn is perilous, but he defied Death once, didn't he? He sees no reason why he can't do it again.


The Boss' orders are simple. Perhaps too simple for my tastes. It doesn't matter much. He's my Boss, so, of course, I obey. He tells us—all of us—to go to "a neighbor's house" to "fetch something". I don't know what, and I don't ask. Why would I ask? Some of the others wonder, though. They question Boss' orders. The neighbor is infamous among us. I feel I'm the smart one, though. I've always been the smart one. I do what I'm told. I don't question Boss.

The walk to Neighbor's house takes a very long time. Boss said it would. I occupy myself by listening to my friends' feet shuffle on the ground. I wonder if I'm the only one hoping we'll find a new friend in Neighbor. I don't see why it would be impossible. I slowly, very slowly, turn back and see Boss standing behind us, urging us to go forward. He wants us to find Neighbor very badly. I question myself in calling Neighbor "Neighbor". Neighbors don't live _this far away._ The effort of putting one foot in front of the other hurts, and my knees start to creak. The feeling is amusing, though I'm unable to smile. I hear one of my friends groan in complaint and hunger. He wants us to move faster.

One of us picks up a pole and starts running. There is a hedge in front of us now. I don't know where it leads. I hear something beyond the hedge, and the sound of something hitting flesh. It makes a wet _squish_ when it connects. Then I hear something freeze. I hear the crackle of the ice as it surrounds something moving. Ice can't freeze if the target moves. The target continues to move, I hear—another one of us pushes past me—and the ice cracks more. I hear a pop. It takes another minute, several more of the wet squishing sounds before I hear a second pop, then the sound of something falling onto the ground with a _thud_. I hear a familiar sound, the sound of daisies popping out of the ground. That happens often. Not for most, but only with the houses with the Big Tree. Big Tree talks to Houses. Gives them Wisdom. I think Houses use that Wisdom, but for what, I don't know. All I know is a tall enough Big Tree teaches how to plant daisies. I like the daisies. I like their smell.

Several of us push past me, and my thoughts about the Houses and Big Trees are interrupted. I hear many more squishing sounds, much more struggling ice, many more pops. We are fewer now. Much fewer. One of us, identical to the rest, brushes my hand with his, the hand that isn't holding the flag. The flag is used when we wish to give up, when we wish to Surrender. Our Surrender doesn't usually work, though. We sometimes must send out many Surrenders, then another, then another, before we finally stop trying and wait. We wait till Sun changes. Sometimes Sun is bright and golden, sometimes she is dark and silver. Most of us have forgotten what these cycles are called. We prefer Silver Sun. Silver Sun makes more of us when we Surrender. We take the rest of us with us when we Surrender so Owner will be convinced to communicate. We wish to talk, to _tell_ when we Surrender. We are too quiet to do it from across a Lawn, though, so we must do it in person. This is difficult to accomplish. I hear our Surrender brother fall.

One of the Big Ones puts his hand on my back, pushes me forward. I don't have the strength to do much, though. I don't know why it's my turn. Big One would be far more likely to talk to Neighbor. Maybe it's because I'm smart. I can talk better than the others. Maybe that's why. I take my first step into the hedge, then the second, third, fourth, fifth…

I am on the other side. The Lawn is pretty, covered in daisies, some farther than others, but most in one place. I turn and barely see Big One walk away. I curse him in my mind for being a…a…coward. I think that's the word they use. I don't remember anymore.

Something hits my chest. I look down, wisps of whatever hair I have left falling over my eyes, and I discover that my torso is covered in green. I mean, it's always green now, but this green is lighter and smells of grass and fertilizer. Something else hits me in the chest. I only see things in shades of blue or grey now. It's harder to move and I can no longer walk as quickly as I could. I hear—and feel—a pop and I can no longer feel my left arm. I can't turn my head, as it's frozen in place, but I think my arm may have fallen off. I can tell because there is a new pain in my shoulder.

I am bombarded with green and blue spheres. I don't know what they are. But I do my best to get over to the end of the lawn. I try stepping over the spikes on the ground instead of stepping on them, but it doesn't work.

I hear another pop, realize I have now lost my head, and watch my body fall to the ground, daisies sprouting over my final resting place. And in that moment, I feel more dead. My not-beating heart sinks—I don't know how I know that, or if I can actually feel it. I know something, though. I know one last thing before Oblivion consumes me.

I have failed Boss. I have disobeyed his orders.


End file.
